Going Crabbing

Going Crabbing

One day dad decided it was time to go look for mud-crabs once more. So that night mother set the alarm-clock for three the next morning, as she always did when we were going crabbing.before sunrise next day we girls were ordered to show a leg almost before the alarm had stopped ringing.

I wouldn't recommend a walk on the mud-flats, carrying gear in the form of fishing-lines, bran bags, crabs hooks, petrol and the tucker-box a half past three in the morning. I never liked it, because I was always half asleep, and because the mud-flats between our house and the boat would be almost covered with small soldier-crabs, which came out of their holes in the sand when the tide went out. Soldier-crabs are about the size of a walnut, pale-blue and yellow, and they look just like an army of marching soldiers. Even when I was wide awake, I used to watch my step, for the last thing I wanted to do was to squash a poor, innocent soldier-crabs, in spite of the fact that they were such a nuisance on the flats. I always got very upset when I stood on them. My sisters thought I was crazy. They just put their feet down expected the soldier-crabs to get out of their way. If they didn't-well, it was just too bad. Even Dad had a silent contempt for my sentiment. I could sense it. He prided himself on bringing up his children tough but not brutal. My brothers and sisters were very strong, healthy, and logical.but I was weak and sentimental.

From Stradbroke Dreamtime by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

(sometimes spelled 'Nunukul')

Exploring the text

1. What past experience is being recounted?
2. Who are the people in the story?
3. Where is the main action taking place?
4. Why didn't the writer like going crabbing?
5. When did the soldier-crabs come out of their holes?
6. In what way do the soldier-crabs behave like soldiers?
7. What were the writer's feelings when she stood on the soldier-crabs?
8. What were the writer's feelings when she stood on the soldier-crabs?
9. What was the attitude of her sisters to the soldier-crabs?
10. What do you learn about the writer's father from the story?